


Change of Plans

by hope170



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Don't really know where this is going, F/F, F/M, Talk of War, Violence, if i'll ever finish it, may diverge later on, or how it'll end, tried to go against canon as little as possible
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-15 02:16:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18489232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hope170/pseuds/hope170





	1. Chapter 1

Queen Moon was close to snapping. He could see it in her eyes, the false hope that dared to show itself. 

“Where’s my daughter?”

“Where’s Star?”

He ignored them, staring instead at his hand. His missing finger was finally returned. After so long, he was finally whole again. But it wasn’t over yet. His eyes fell to the gem in the palm of his hand, still glinting green from his corruption, edges jagged where it had been cleaved from it’s other half. It wouldn’t take much.

He looked up at them, all hopeful, waiting for him to return the princess. It was incredibly satisfying to watch the hope die, shattered along with the gem, crumbling to dust.

“She’s gone.”

He could see Moon break, could almost hear the tearing of her heart as everything was taken from her. He had imagined this exact moment for years, imagined the satisfaction it would bring when his revenge was finally taken. Now that the moment was here, he realized it wasn’t as he thought it would be. It was just another excruciating reminder. Still, it was done. It was finally over.

He turned and walked away.

But then again, it wasn’t quite over. He could hear the queen yelling as she charged him. He sighed, so very, very tired, but turned nonetheless, just in time to block her attacks. It seemed that now, with everything lost, her magic was merely an afterthought, leaving her lashing out blindly. He easily grabbed the fist that was swung at him, then the other. For a moment all they did was stare at each other, one a broken shell of her former self, the other carefully neutral lest she see a mirror of her own emotions. 

She violently yanked away, grabbing for the wand. He didn’t even bother moving out of the way, the wand shoved against his chest right over where his heart was. He knew it had no power now that it’s owner was gone. 

“ I call the darkness unto me,  
From deepest depths of earth and sea,  
From ancient evils unawoken,  
Break the one who can’t be broken,  
From blackest night,  
I pledge my soul,  
And crush my heart to burning coal,  
To summon forth a deadly power,  
To see my hated foe devoured.”

Her eyes held so much hate and pain. He knew then, at that moment, that she finally understood. He grabbed her wrist, moving it and the wand away from him. He glanced at the deadly item for a moment before returning his gaze to the queen. 

“Tell me, my Queen, how does it feel, to lose everything?”

The tears streamed down her face, all her emotions read plainly. He knew how she felt.

“Why?” 

She put all her pain into that one word, that one question. For a moment, Toffee let his expression drop. Moon’s eyes grew wide with recognition. He looked so tired and sad, the scar of a grief that never left and never would. In that moment they truly understood each other.

“Because this is the only way any of you will listen.”

He shouldn’t have turned his back on that Marco boy. He was almost surprised when a fist rammed straight through his chest. He sighed, glancing back at the human boy as the hole quickly healed itself. He really wasn’t in the mood for such things.

The boy ended up slamming against some wall debris. The queen looked surprise and he took advantage of her distraction, shoving her into the ground so that she at least wouldn’t follow him.

He walked away, but it seemed there would be one last interruption. Ludo, that pathetic nothing of a monster, was clinging to his pant leg, desperation in his eyes.

“Please, just tell me. Did I have any part to play in this?”

He didn’t have time for this, to pity such a creature.

“No.”

He didn’t bother looking back. He had somewhere else to be, somewhere he hadn’t been to for far too long. Maybe it was time to visit home.

But he never did. Instead, Star came back and Ludo finally got his moment, his revenge for all the belittling and mental torture Toffee had put him through. His death was celebrated.


	2. Chapter 2

The town was quiet, finally settling after everything that had happened. Only a few Mewmans were out, taking care of the last of the garbage that had been left piled on the streets or assessing the damage of the burnt buildings. Some families had to take refuge in the shops or other homes, their own houses nothing but piles of ashes and rubble. It would take some time before everything would be rebuilt. The destruction mixed with the clouds that threatened rain left the impression that something was hanging over the town. It was like a blanket, stifling everything and everyone.

Those few that remained on the streets paid no mind to the tall, cloaked figure that made her way through the town, sliding easily in and out of the shadows. Amber eyes searched the surroundings, analyzing each turn in the road that could hold an enemy, each person that was passed on the side of the road, ever ready to spring into action should it be called for. But it wasn’t needed. The figure slipped through the town without any issues and entered the palace grounds. 

It was a simple matter to avoid the guards that marched endlessly through the gardens, the figure only taking moments to reach her destination.

Where a tall, regal tower stood was nothing but a pile of rubble strewn across a small field. Large slabs of stone looked ready to fall over, leaning haphazardly along other large stones, and the ground was layered with a collection of rock, wood, and fallen pillars. It looked to be a perilous climb if one was to look through it all or clear it out. The figure estimated that, without magic, it would have taken at least months to clean up. Luckily, the queen had yet to order such an endeavor, leaving the place clear of people save for the occasional guard that marched passed.

With an ease and grace that came with years of practice and physical training, the figure moved over the rubble, turning over piles of stone and ducking into shadows whenever a guard passed. 

The longer she searched, the more frustrated she seemed to get, letting out little hisses of irritation every time she came up empty handed. Occasionally, you could see a tail flick out from under the cloak, twitching whenever the aggravation became too much.

It was quite some time before the figure stopped her search, huffing as she sat on a slab of stone, head in her clawed hands. There truly was nothing here but stone and rubble. But what did that mean? Did he escape? Or did they just remove any evidence of a body? Or was she just too frustrated to focus properly?

Whatever the case, she had to keep looking. Just a little longer. She couldn’t go home empty handed.

Just then there was a large crash. The figure’s head snapped up at the sound, body automatically dropping into a battle ready stance as amber eyes just catch where a large stone had fallen from its precarious perch, dirt rising ina cloud. Then there was shouting and the clanging of metal boots as a group of guards came to investigate. 

The figure thought over her options in an instant before sighing in defeat. There was no time to hide and nothing good would come from a fight.

Spears were suddenly surrounding her, forcing her to her feet and into the maze that was the dungeons of the palace.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a bit of commotion in the palace. 

It wasn’t immediately obvious to the outsiders or any visitors that may have come by. It was more subtle than that, seen in the whispers of the servants as they gossiped more than usual or in the guards that seemed just a bit more on edge. Only those living in the castle could even hope to notice the change. It was only natural, then, that someone as smart as the princess would pick up on it almost immediately. 

Queen Moon heard her daughters stomping run long before she slammed the office doors open.

“Mom!”

Moon sighed, putting the paperwork she had been working on to the side as Star commanded her attention.

“Yes, Star?”

The girl stood right in front of the desk, eyes narrowed.

“What’s going on? And don’t tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about!” Star pointed an accusing finger which Moon nudged to the side.

“The guards found a Monster sneaking around the palace grounds. Everyone’s just a little on edge is all.”

Star looked like she was about to speak again, mouth open wide to no doubt retaliate, but Moon was quick to stop her by holding up a hand.

“I’ll be holding an interrogation later this afternoon. You may watch. Now, can I get back to work?”

Star blinked slowly at her mother, thinking things over before nodding. Eyes still narrowed, she walked backwards out of the office, pausing in the doorway and closing the door with a slam. 

Moon sighed and picked up the papers once more. That was relatively painless.


	3. Chapter 3

The dungeons were certainly dark. The only light was the torches the guards held as they made their rounds, blinding after the endless darkness. But they weren’t too cold and remained dry. Despite everything, it wasn’t all that bad.

At least, that’s what she kept telling herself. 

She sat cross-legged in the far corner, mindful to keep her body relaxed and mind clear. Amber eyes saw easily in the dark, trained intently on the only window out of her stone cell, the small window set in the rough wooden door. Just counted off in her head. 3...2….1. Just then a guard passed, the torch’s light shining into her cell before fading once more. She started counting again.

The cell was not all that uncomfortable compared to others, but it was just as incredibly boring.

Her counting was interrupted, the sound of footsteps catching her attention, echoing off the stone walls of the hall. She had a moment to mentally prepare herself before the heavy door was forced open, three guards grabbing at her with rough hands and dragging her out. It was a bit unnecessary, but she held back an annoyed hiss, the sound getting caught in her throat. 

She was marched down the hall, two of the guards behind her and one in front. She was quick to note their weapon locations and weak points in their armor before she caught herself. No, she wasn’t going to fight. She calmed her mind once again, reiterating to herself that she needed to wait, see where things were going, and not cause any more problems.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Star did her best to stand patiently next to her mother, waiting. Just waiting. She found herself fidgeting with the hem of her dress and forced her arms to her sides, hands balled up. Moon didn’t respond, simply finishing the last of that days paperwork. 

It was late afternoon and they were supposed to go talk to the intruding monster soon. 

Finally, Moon put down the final paper, sighing contently as she finished her work.

“Can we go nooooow!” Star blurted out, her impatience getting the better of her. But Moon didn’t berate her. She simply nodded and led the way out.

“Now Star, when we get there I’m going to need you to be quiet. When you’re questioning someone, you need to be very careful of what you say.” 

“Yeah, yeah, be quiet. Why are you questioning them? Doesn’t the guard usually do that?”

Moon sighed. 

“Yes, usually, but considering what has just happened with Toffee and Ludo… I’m just exercising a bit more caution.”

“Ooooooohhh! This has something to do with Toffee!” 

“Now, that is not what I said!”

“But it’s what you’re thinking.”

Moon stared angrily at her daughter.

“It could very well have nothing to do with Toffee. I’m just being careful.”

“Okay, okay …” 

They finished their walk in silence, climbing down stairs after stairs till they finally stopped in front of a door with two guards stationed outside.

“Now, remember what I told you, dear.”

Star mimed zipping her mouth closed.

“Exactly.”

With that, the guards opened the door.  
The room beyond was rather small, made entirely of stone and holding only a table and two chairs. Two more guards were stationed just inside the door, staring intently at the prisoner who sat in the far chair. 

It was a Septarian, probably almost eight feet tall if she was standing. Her scales were a familiar shade of silver-blue, eyes an almost glowing amber that seemed to sparkle when the lights caught them the right way, and her long dark hair was tied in a braid. She most certainly wasn’t exactly the same, but she held herself with a similar poise, face a mask of calm despite her situation and the chains that were clasped around her wrists and ankles. 

Star gave her mother a pointed look, one that said I told you so, but she paid the girl no mind.

“Hello, Holly.”

The Septarian smirked, just the slightest twinge of her lips. 

“Hello, Queen Moon.”

The queen sat in the chair across the table from the monster, face the same impassive mask as the other. Star, on the other hand, looked completely shocked.

“I should have known it was you”

Holly nodded.

“I had to come. I needed to know.”

“Of course you did.” Moon sighed. “I’m not sure he’s able to come back.”

Holly was silent for a moment.

“I know I’m going to regret this, but … To know for sure, you’re going to have to tell me what was left.”

Moon thought for a moment.

“I’m afraid not much, at least nothing solid. I will, of course, have to start clean up soon. If there is anything left I’ll have you judge the possibility of his return.”

“And what till then?” Holly asked, long tail sweeping across the floor. You could see the gears working behind her eyes, planning.

Moon shook her head.

“You know I can’t let you go, at least not yet. You did sneak into the palace, afterall. There is a lot that needs handled before we can close this chapter, and unfortunately, you’ve made yourself apart of it. I can’t let you go till everything else has been taken care of.”

Holly looked down at the table for a long, silent moment. Then she looked Moon.

“May I make some requests?”

Moon seemed surprised that she had accepted the situation so easily.

“You may, but I can’t guarantee that they will be requested.”

“That’s fine.” Holly shrugged. “First, I was hoping I would be allowed some books to read. That cell can get incredibly boring.”

“That should be fine.”

“Oh thank goodness!” 

For the first time, the Septarian showed a hint of emotion, a relieved smile spreading tentatively across her muzzle before returning to its neutral line.

“Second, I was wondering if I could perhaps spend some time in the gardens every once in while?”

Moon had to think about that one, but only for a moment.

“As long as you are accompanied by guards, then it should be possible.”

“Just one more request.” It took Holly a moment before she could continue. “I told my wife before I left home that I would be back by tomorrow. Since I can’t do that now, I was hoping to be given back my compact. Just to let her know what’s going on so she doesn’t worry.”

Moon seemed curious now, leaning forward a little. 

“You got married?”

Holly smiled again, this one big and bright, showing of her sharp teeth.

“I did! She has to be the most amazing Mewman to ever exist. She has the most heavenly singing voice and she’s so kind and loving and just the sweetest thing. I don’t know how I got so lucky.” 

The Septarian had completely given up on her composed mask. She had a soft smile on her face, eyes distant as if imagining the love of her life, and tail curled. Star really wanted to state just how cute she found it, but limited herself to big eyes and smiles.

“I suppose I can give you one call, but then you will only be able to receive calls for emergency situations.”

Holly’s tail left its curl and swept across the floor, but the smile was still on her face. She nodded.

“That’ll do.”  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Mom!” 

Moon could already feel a headache coming on. She tried not to focus on it, keeping her attention on walking forward.

“Yes, Star.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were friends with a monster!”

So it starts.

“We’re not friends, Star. I’ve only seen her once before. I just know her name.”

“But she’s related to Toffee, right? Like, that wasn’t just me? She was very similar.”

Her hand went to her temple. She couldn’t ignore her headache anymore. She stopped and turned to the girl. She just couldn’t deal with this right now.

“Dear, I have a lot to deal with right now. I know you have questions, but maybe you could throw them at someone else.”

With that the queen turned and left, Star watching her go with arms crossed. Fine, she would get her answers one way or another.


	4. Chapter 4

The gardens at the castle were incredible. Even the smallest, most out of the way gardens were full of bright and colorful flowers, the air heavy with their scent. A few trees offered their shade for hotter days, elegant looking benches placed just below them, connected by a few trails made of large flat stones. This particular garden had a willow tree, it’s thin, drooping branches rustling in the breeze. It was the only garden in the palace that had a large, smooth stone in the middle, lined with bright purple flowers. You could tell it had once been a courtyard, the large walls framing it on all sides a rather large give away. Where the other gardens were in open areas, large enough that you could almost forget you were in the middle of a large castle. But this garden was surrounded by the elegant towers, casting the whole place in shade save for mid afternoon, when the sun shone right down into it. 

That’s where Star found Holly a couple days after she had arrived when the garden was at its brightest and best. 

The girl peared from behind one of the large doorways that dotted the edges of the garden. Her target was laying on her stomach on the large stone at the center, body stretched out over the smooth surface and soaking up the heat. She was reading a book, eyes half lidded and tail occasionally sweeping in lazy arches across the stone. 

Star walked up to her, standing right in front of her face, waiting for the Septarian to notice her. Eventually, Holly sighed, lowering her book to find Star’s face right in front of her.

“Princess Star I presume? How can I help you.” Her words were smooth and emotionless, amber eyes looking her over 

Star squinted at her, plopping on ground. 

“How do you know my Mom?”

Holly sighed, marking her spot in the book before closing it and placing it to the side. She wasn’t all that interested in it anyways. It was hard to get invested when she just kept getting angry at all the inaccuracies and biases.

“A while ago your grandmother held a banquet between Mewmans and Monsters to try and promote peace between the two. I was one of those selected to attend. We spoke there to try to alleviate each others boredom.”

“So you are friends!” Star scooted closer, eyes big.

“No. We just happened to talk the once.”

“Suuuuure.” Star drew the word out, making it very clear she didn’t believe Holly.

“I’m sorry, are you friends with everyone you’ve ever spoken with?”  
Star nodded emphatically. It took Holly a moment to respond, taking time to try and wrap her mind around how the girl’s mind worked. 

“Okay. The same does not apply to most people.” 

“Cool, next question!” Star scooted forward a little more, doing her best to look serious. “What is your relation to Toffee?”

There was another pause in the conversation as Holly carefully picked her words, eyes narrowed at the girl. She decided being straightforward and honest would be the best option.

“Toffee is my father.”

“Does my mom know that?”

Holly tilted her head slightly to the side.

“You mean Queen Moon? Yes, she’s aware.”

“Then why is she acting so chill with you!” Holly could Star was about to go off and mentally prepared herself, head in her hand. “I mean, she really freaked out over Toffee before. He did all that horrible stuff, corrupting all magic, killing Leckhmet, almost killing me. He put all of Mewni in danger! And you’re his daughter?! There’s no way she should be okay with you just wandering around the castle, but she is. I don’t get it! Why doesn’t she expect that you’ll pull something or seek revenge or something.”

During her rant, Star had jumped up from the ground and paced in circles around the stone Holly was laying on, waving her arms frantically to emphasize her point and show just how confused she was. When she finished she stopped back in front of Holly, arms crossed and brow furrowed. 

“Mom’s usually a lot more cautious. Why does she trust you?”

Holly shrug, face a perfect mask of disinterest. 

“Why do you trust me?”

Star looked surprised, then thoughtful.

“I don’t know. I guess if you really wanted to hurt us you would’ve done it by now. Besides, you shouldn’t be blamed for what Toffee did. You don’t control him.”

“Maybe that’s what the queen is thinking.”

Star looked away, shrugging. 

“I guess.”

Holly nodded. In one graceful motion she sat up on the rock, stretching her arms as far as they wood go. 

“No one expects you to know everything, Princess. The best you can do is go off of what you do know. Whenever I don't understand why someone's doing something I like to think about why I would it." She stood up with a sigh, glancing around the garden. "Unfortunately, I have to get going.” Just as she said that, the guards that were watching from the edge of the garden came up to them. Star hadn’t even noticed they were there. Holly stooped to collect her book and let the guards lead her away, giving Star a final wave as she went. 

Star was left alone in the garden, just thinking things over. Sometimes, she really just didn’t understand her mother.


	5. Chapter 5

Moon sighed, leaning back in her plush office chair. It had been a long day full of the same paper work as every other, not to mention the extra work of getting the country back together. She gave herself a moment to just sit, mind blank, focusing on breathing. 

There was a knock on the office door. She took one more deep breath before sitting to attention, looking just as perfect as ever.

“Come in.”

The door opened, a guard escorting a page into the office. The page appeared to be a young man, eyes moving around the room nervously before settling on the queen. He gave a quick bow before standing to attention, doing his best to seem more confident and professional.

“Queen Moon, we have finished our search of the rubble.”

It took a lot of control for moon not to roll her eyes. It wasn’t much of search, she told them exactly where to go. 

“Did you find anything?”

The page’s face screwed up in a look of disgust as he held up a small burlap sack, placing it gently on her desk. Moon picked the bag up and peered inside, making sure to keep her face neutral. Still, there was a slight twinge of her lips as she put it to the side.

“Are you sure that’s all that’s left?”  
The page nodded.

“Just that and all the black muck.”

“Very well. You may go.”

The page gave a hasty bow, eager to get out of the Queen’s gaze. The door shut with a slam and Moon slouched in her chair, groaning. At least that was taken care of. Now she needed to set up a team to clear away the rubble. And …

Her eyes drifted back to the bag sitting on her desk. All that was inside was a single eye. That was all that was left of Toffee. She didn’t even know if that was enough for him to regenerate from, but if it was then it needed to be locked away and put under guard. The last thing this kingdom needed was that psychopathic lizard running around trying to destroy the country again. But even if he was locked up, how long would he stay like that before escaping anyways? She would just have to got Rombulus to deal with it.

But then she’d have to deal with Holly. Sure, she appeared to be calm and understanding but there really was no way of telling how she would react to hearing that her only family had been imprisoned for the rest of eternity. She could have Rombulus freeze Holly as well… No, that wouldn't be fair. Despite all her father’s actions, the Septarian hadn’t done anything herself to put Mewni in danger. 

She sighed. She could figure out a permanent solution later. This decision would take some time. Until then …

She opened the lowest drawer, the one that can only be opened with her magic, and put the bag inside. No one would even have a chance of getting inside. It was the safest spot in the whole castle.

That would be enough for now. It had been a long day, and she was ready to finish for the night.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The library in the castle was one of the largest in all Mewni. It was filled with bookshelves that towered high above, each lined with all sorts of books. Some were ancient, pages yellowed with age and smelling like mildew and dust. Others were new, still smelling of fresh ink. And yet they still couldn’t hold Holly’s attention. Each book she read was based on the same incorrect perceptions of the world, the superiority of Mewmans over monsters. She was starting to get tired of reading everything between the lines and having to dig through the prejudice. 

She hummed thoughtfully as she thumbed through another book, this one on philosophy. She was convinced all the history books were pointless, telling a very skewed version of happenings. Hopefully books on philosophy would at least give her an idea of how some Mewmans thought. Then the biases would add to the readability of the book instead of taking away from it.

Satisfied with her pick, she tucked the book under her arm and went back to the shelves to see if she could find another that interested her. Her footsteps echoed in the domed ceiling so high above, almost entirely drowned out by the clanging of metal armor. A guard followed her at all times, the other two following further behind. Thankfully, she had been able to tune the sound out so that it no longer grated against her nerves. That, however, was more difficult to do when it echoed so loudly in the library.

She frowned, the sound starting to give her a headache. She wandered to a different row of shelves, scanning the book titles as she went. Her search was interrupted by the sound of another set of footsteps. They were much quieter than the guards, though not as quiet as her own. She froze when she heard them and tilted her head slightly to hear them better, thankful the guards had stopped moving when she did. It sounded like heels, so it was probably some Mewman woman. None of the servants wore heels, so it couldn’t be any of them. It could be some noble, but something tells her that , if there were visiting nobles she wouldn’t have been allowed out of her cell. 

The footsteps got closer till she saw none other than Queen Moon walked by the end of the bookcase, jumping when she caught sight of the Monster amongst the books. Holly smirked at that, putting the book she had been looking at back on the shelf. 

“Oh, you startled me!” The Queen exclaimed, hand fluttering to her chest. 

“You did give me permission to pick out some books.” The words were cool with only a hint of humor in her voice. 

“Yes, I remember, I just didn’t expect to run into anyone this early in the morning.” 

Holly nodded.

“That’s understandable. Unfortunately, I’m not allowed out and about at more reasonable times of day. We don’t some poor servant catching sight of me and fainting in frite!” She scoffed, smirking as if she told some sort of joke, tail sweeping across the floor. 

“Well that certainly wasn’t my idea.” Moon huffed, crossing her arms. Holly hummed.

“I know. I don’t expect you to control every little detail of palace life.” She shrugged, turning back to the shelves. 

“Right.” Moon watched the Septarian for a while, thinking for a moment before a look of determination came across her face. “We need to talk.”

Holly raised a brow at that, but followed her to the back of the library. Hidden amongst the shelves was a cozy little alcove, with plush chairs and a small table. Moon sat in one of the chairs, motioning for Holly to do the same. Once they were both settled, she spoke.

“ I believe I have decided on a solution, but before we get into all that, I have to know. How good is your father’s regenerative abilities?”

Holly tilted her head to the side, amber eyes distant as she thought over the question. When she answered it was slowly, as if she was still thinking it over as she spoke.

“I’m not entirely sure. I never really saw him too terribly injured. I do know he’s better than most other Septarians.”

“Could he possibly regenerate from something small, like a finger or eye?”

“Yes, I think he could. It would take quite a while but I’m sure he’d manage it well enough.” 

Holly’s eyes gleamed with hope, unable to keep her tail still as the flicked ever couple seconds. Moon noticed, of course. She took a deep breath, going over her plan in her head, trying to work out the details before sharing it.

“Here’s what I’m thinking. Obviously, I can’t just let Toffee go, as I’m sure you understand.” Holly nodded. “The best option is imprisonment, but even then there’s no guarantee that he won’t find some way to escape.”

“So you need to keep him locked up but he also needs to want to stay, correct?” Holly provided.

“Yes, and the best way to do so would be to have someone he knows and trusts convince him to stay and look after him. Perhaps, after some time, he can change his ways so that he no longer attempts to destroy Mewni. Though, I do realize that that’s pretty far fetched. It’s more of the best possible outcome. So, Holly.”

Moon stood up, looking very regal and when she spoke it was in her most queenly voice, filled with importance and confidence.

“Holly, from this moment on you will work for me as guard of the criminal, Toffee. You are to keep him inside the palace and prevent him from endangering Mwni in any way. Do you accept the job?”

There was a brief moment where a look of shock crossed the Septarians face before she got control of herself again. She knelt before the Queen, head bowed low in respect.

“I happily accept.”

Moon motioned for her stand up and she did, clasping her hands behind her back, looking like the epitome of calm and grace. For a moment they just stood there before Moon gave a sigh, dropping her more regal posture.

“Oh, I’m so glad I finished all of that. Are you sure you can control your father?”

“If anybody can, it would be me.” Holly put a comforting hand on Moon’s shoulder. “I promise I’ll do everything you can.”

Moon smiled. “Thank you. Now, follow me.”

With that, Moon leads Holly out of the Library.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been just short of a week after the monster had been captured and the air within the castle shifted once more. This time, it was far more noticable. It didn’t matter where you walked in the castle, you would bump into some staff whispering amongst themselves not nearly quiet enough. Those that couldn’t talk to others went about with a sour look on their faces, clearly irritated by recent events. If you stopped any of them, they would be more than happy to tell you just what had them so bothered.

There was a monster on staff! Could you believe that? What on Mewni could the Queen be thinking. 

If you asked them anything about the monster they would be much slower to respond. In truth, no one knew anything about the creature, not even what type of monster it was. There were plenty of rumors that went around, each even more outlandish than the last. People believed it be something as simple as a gardner or librarian (it was believed to be most often found in gardens and libraries) to a secret guard, the only one able to handle some incredibly powerful and dangerous treasure. The stories grew to such ridiculous proportions that none were truly believable, but it entertained the servants to no end to share and embellish these myths.

Holly thought it was the most amusing thing. Star made sure to report to her every day with the most absurd theories and each would make the Septarian chuckle, tail curling in delight. The very idea that she had become some mythical figure in these palace walls just by living there was more than she could have expected. She was more than happy to encourage these antics. She made sure to remain hidden from the other servants, leaving them to speculate.

She managed to stay hidden for a couple of days before she grew tired of the game. There were more important things for her to tend to.

Queen Moon was adamant that if she was to work at the castle she would have to join the royal guard. It wouldn’t be necessary for her to go through all the usual training and guard jobs, but she would be considered a branch of the royal guard. 

There was also the matter of what to do concerning her family. She couldn’t leave the palace grounds, not even to visit them, so it was decided that, if they wanted to, they could move into the castle. Holly had no doubt that they would be more than happy to move out of their small cottage to join her in the palace, but she still had to actually tell her wife what was going on. Holly hadn’t spoken to her since she had first been captured and the last thing she wanted was to keep the love of her life stressed out because of her.

She had gone to the small garden, trying to get somewhere quiet where she wouldn’t be interrupted. She settled on the stone, sitting cross legged, and took out her compact. It rang once before her wife answered, a Mewman woman with bright red, curly hair and freckles on her cheeks. Just the sight of the woman was enough to make her tail curl with delight, a smile spreading across her face.

“Hi love.”

“Oh thank goodness! You’re okay?”

“I’m just fine, dear, no need to worry.”

“Well then, when are you coming home? The kids miss you.”

Holly’s smile softened slightly.

“I miss you guys, too. But, uh … I’m afraid I’m going to be confined to palace grounds for the foreseeable future?”

There was a pause in conversation, then a sigh.

“What did you do?”

Holly frowned but there wasn’t really any emotion behind it.

“I didn’t do anything!”

Holly almost jumped when a voice shouted from behind her but had enough control over herself to simply glance.

“She killed a person!”

Star was behind her, smiling that mischievous smile of hers.

“Princess, can you please just let me talk?”

“Who ya talking to?” The princess asked, trying to grab the compact from Holly’s hands only for the monster to shift it out of her reach, tail twitching in irritation.

“My wife.”

“Awwwww!” Star’s eyes got big. “I want to see her!” She tried grabbing for the compact again and again Holly shifted out of the way.

“Can you please just let me finish my conversation? It’s kind of important.” Somehow, Holly managed to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

Star sat back and huffed, puffing her cheeks out, but remained out of the way. Holly sighed, looking back to the compact where her wife was smiling, looking amused, a glimmer in her eyes. Holly couldn’t help but smile with her.

“Safe to say you didn’t actually murder anyone?”

Holly chucklled.

“No, no one died, I just got a job.”

There was a loud sigh.

“Only you could break the law and then get a job out of it.”

“I’m just very lucky. Anyways, um, I sort of can’t leave so if you stay at the cottage I won’t be able to see you. But, the Queen has said she would allow you to live at the castle.”

There was a pause as the Mewman tried to wrap her mind around the news. Holly’s tail swept across the stone nervously, but otherwise it didn’t show.

“Okay… It may take some time to pack and I’ll have to tell the kids… But it really shouldn’t be a problem!”  
Holly could feel herself relaxing as the relief swept over her. Yes, she knew her wife would be fine with the changes, but she had felt incredibly anxious anyways. But now it was over and she could look forward to seeing her babies again!

“Awesome!” Star shouted, clearly having gotten over being told to sit back. The girl was quick to jump to the monster’s side, looking over shoulder to the compact again. “I can’t wait to meet your family!”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Despite her insistence that it would take some time to get ready, it was only a couple of days later when Holly’s wife was on her way to the castle. Holly and Star were waiting for them in front of the castle. Star was almost jumping in excitement, bouncing up and down, wand clasped in front of her. Holly couldn’t understand why the girl was so eager to meet her family, but at that moment she couldn’t bring herself to care. It had been over a week since she had lost seen them and she couldn’t begin to explain how much she had missed them.

Of course, she did her best to stay calm just like she was taught. She stood tall, hands clasped behind her back so hard that her knuckles were pale. Every once in awhile her tail swished against the stone floor before she caught herself and stilled once more.

Holly heard the sound of the carriage coming long before Star did, the tip of her tail curling slightly, the barest hint of a smile forming on her muzzle. Some minutes later it came into view, drawn by two warnicorns. She could hear the squeals of delight before it even stopped in front of them. The door was thrown open and a little, dark-skinned Mewman girl jumped out, barreling into Holly with a delighted yell.

“Momma!”

Holly was quick to kneel down and catch the girl, hugging her tight. In that moment her carefully placed mask fell away, replaced with a look of absolute happiness. She couldn’t stop smiling, tail curled on the ground. 

She didn’t want to let the girl go, but managed to pry an arm off as the red-headed Mewman woman step out, slower than the girl did. It was necessary, since she held a sleeping baby in her arms. The baby almost looked Mewman save for a few key features, such as the icy blue tint to his skin, the little horns that peaked out from under his black hair, or what looked like wings on his back. The woman also had what appeared to be a redish brown lizard on her head dressed in a red onsie.

Holly surged forward, taking the whole group up in her arms, causing the woman to giggle. The baby woke with a start, but calmed down quickly, giggling with everyone else. The whole family was a mess of laughter and smiles. Even the little lizard chirped happily, trying to snuggle into the middle of the group. Holly had the whole group wrapped up in her arms and tail, nuzzling into the woman’s red hair. It was such a heartwarming reunion that Star couldn’t stop smiling and it took her a lot of self control not to join them. As much as she wanted to, she knew it wasn’t her place. 

Star waited patiently till, some time later, the family separated, the little girl still giggling as she clung to Holly’s side. The Septarian was quick to control herself once more, though she couldn’t quite erase the smile from her face. She motioned from the family to Star.

“I’d like to introduce you to Princess Star. Star, this is my family!” 

The Mewman woman stepped forward, removing an arm from the baby to shake her hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Princess. I’m Aurora.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too. Now, who are all these little cuties!” Star cooed, leaning down to play with the baby. 

The little girl was quick to jump forward.

“I’m Taylia!”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you!” Star, said patting the girl’s head.

“That’s my brother, Toby!” Taylia continued, pointing at the baby. “And …” She looked around, confused when she couldn’t find what she was searching for. “Momma, where’s Zephyr?”

“Right here.” Holly brought her tail in front of their faces so that they could see the little lizard chewing on it. He dropped into the Septarians arm, cooing happily at the attention. Taylia turned back to Star with a smile.

“And that’s my other brother, Zephyr! We just adopted him not that long ago!”

“Oh, that’s so cool! The little lizard boy.” Star cooed, wiggeling her fingers in the baby lizards face. Before Holly or Aurora could warn her against it, Zephyr nipped at her, almost getting a finger with his little teeth. Star just managed to pull her hand back in time, eyeing the lizard.

“Yeah, he’s going through a biting phase right now. It’s probably best if you keep your fingers out of his face.” Holly said, tucking Zephyr close to his chest as he chirped happily, patting his mother’s shirt. 

“Dully noted.”


End file.
